


Addicted

by MadSoullessQueen



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Addiction, Aged-Up Character(s), Drama, Eventual Smut, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Romance, Zutara
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-05
Updated: 2020-08-04
Packaged: 2021-03-05 20:27:19
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,475
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25721308
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MadSoullessQueen/pseuds/MadSoullessQueen
Summary: 5 years after the fall of Ozai and the ending of the war, life moves forward.Zuko is battling the expectations of being Fire Lord, the shortest engagement in history, and his long-hidden feelings for Katara. A letter from Ba Sing Se arrives and it’s not just a chance to see the one person he wants, it’s also a warning. He’ll need to fight the toughest opponent of his life to claim the victory he desperately needs.Katara has spent the last year in her life dealing with one heartbreaking event after another. When news comes to Ba Sing Se that Zuko is marrying Mai, she finally has had enough and goes along for the party ride with Toph. The problem is that her new found love of drinking (to dull the pain) and partying (to escape the pain) has broken her only friend, who is now shipping her off to see the one man who can revive and crush her heart.How is she going to handle the pain, the man she’s been in love with for years marrying another, and where is she going to hide her vodka bottle?
Relationships: Katara/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 12
Kudos: 53





	Addicted

_ Zuko, _

_ I paid my favorite noodle chef to write this because I can’t. So don’t think I’ve picked up any new skills or get excited for more letters. _

Zuko snorted as he read the opening line, he knew this was perfectly Toph. Though he had never in a million years expected a letter from her in the messenger hawk from Ba Sing Se. Usually it was nothing more than the usual political messages or updates on his people’s withdrawal from the territory or the rebuild efforts. 

He shifted on his red and gold floor pillow as he stretched out his legs and relaxed in his private study. Zuko grabbed the small cup of jasmine tea and took another sip as his eyes scanned the creamy scroll paper, littered with a few ink splotches and grease. 

_ What the hell is with you? _

His lips quirked up in a small smile, he read that in her voice.

_ You’re getting married… to Mai? We all know that’s a clusterfuck waiting to happen. Wrong chick! _

Zuko put down his tea cup before he broke it as his once amused smile turned into a scowl and his eyes narrowed in his agitation. He did not need Toph to remind him that this politically arranged marriage was the God-emperor of all bad ideas in the Kingdom of Horrible Ideas.

No, he had Mai for that.

Well, until yesterday, he did.

Today he was free of the engagement, something they were not reporting in the news until he could find a polite way to phrase the announcement. Zuko was completely a free man who had a kingdom to run and years of destruction to undo and too many responsibilities and people still comparing him to his father…

Okay, he was a stressed and free man. 

Even then being free was a subjective term, when you’re up with the sun and after an hour to himself it was nothing but meetings and politics until well past sundown. Every day of the week.

Zuko shoved all those thoughts to the back of his head as he decided to finish reading Toph’s letter. Which he figured would likely be the only letter he would ever receive from her. 

_ Look, we got the formal engagement announcement in Ba Sing Se. I won’t say congrats, because right now Katara is face first in her empty ramen bowl. That means… she’s drunk. _

He quirked a brow and his mind pictured the scene for a moment. He could see Toph sitting on a stool and dictating this letter as Katara drunkenly snored into a clay bowl. The couple noodles tangled in her curly brown hair was the icing to this mental laughing cake. Zuko chuckled and relaxed again as he continued with the letter.

_ It’s the third day and it’s my fault. I told her to let loose and drink till we can’t feel our toes. _

Zuko got up from his desk and went over to the small bar. He poured himself a small glass of fire whiskey and stared out the window. In his mind he catalogued that this letter was almost a week old. Since the formal announcements had hit all the major news across the four nations. 

The whiskey burned down his throat, a comforting feeling and he swallowed hard as he thought about how much he hated that formal party for society’s elites. The stuffy robes that marked his station, the fake smiles and half-hearted laughs at poorly constructed polite jokes. All of it was as fake as the relationship between him and Mai. That night was like slow moving razor blades in his veins and each time he had his wine glass refilled all he could think of was water.

Waterbending to be exact.

Katara to be even more exact.

He finished the whiskey and let out a heavy groan before pulling out the small pin and taking off his golden crown. Zuko pulled at the top knot and let his longer black hair come down. Just so he could stab his fingers through it in annoyance. He didn’t want to think about that night, it was an epic mistake. 

One he was forced to make because his ministers said he needed to secure his line and produce heirs. Considering his own upbringing, kids were not high on his priorities list, due to his fear of becoming his father. Mai would never win mother of the year awards either and often showed indifference for small children. 

He walked back to his dark warm wood floor desk, forgetting his thoughts and picked the letter back up. Zuko hoped to eventually get to the point of the damn letter.

_ She’s a wreck, I can see that and I’m blind. Katara needs you and you need to get over your stupid Fire Lord shit and help her. Help you.  _

_ Help everyone or something. _

_ By the time you get this letter, I’m paying 5 coins for, I don’t know what kind of shape she’s gonna be in. I need you to take her. I need you to get your shit together and dump Mai and get the woman you’ve been in love with for years now. _

_ Yes, the toes knows. I can feel your heartbeat and hear the changes to your breathing and voice when she’s around you. Just man up and send a damn boat for her.  _

_ Send this back to Bao’s Ramen Shoppe with a yes and a travel plans for taking this drunk off my hands. _

_ Okay, that’s it.  _

_ No, that’s it, stop writing _

There was a fingerprint for signing the letter and if Zuko knew Toph, it was the middle one. He re-read the note several times before he rolled it back up and quickly burned it. No one ever needed to read that, it was as crude and informal as Toph. 

“Katara is a drunk, because of me,” he whispered as his heart felt a little heavier inside of his chest. He had never figured her to be that type, but what if her heart was really broken? And the only person she had to confide in was a loud-mouthed earthbender with more trouble in her pinky than 16 Momos.

Zuko rubbed his chest, feeling a small ache inside of it. Katara was the source for a few spats between Mai and him and though he tried – really tried – to let go of her, he just couldn’t. He’d first fallen into respect for her and somewhere along the way, it had blossomed into more. 

Until he saw Aang kiss her and thought, that was the end. He gave up on Katara and focused himself into his work and his time with his Uncle. He worked through all the conflicting feelings and what he couldn’t escape, he shoved into a pretty little mental box and locked it away deep in his mind.

He lost track of her about a year ago, which was the last time he had diplomatic negotiations with Hakoda. The last time he saw her, she seemed different – quiet - and though he wanted to ask, he couldn’t find time.

No, he hadn’t made time. He really should have.

Zuko scrubbed his hand over his face and pulled on his jaw before he grabbed a brush and started several letters of his own. Tonight, he would put into motion a way to fix his past mistakes and see if years of feelings were true or false.

_ Admiral Jian, _

_ I am requesting emergency transport of Katara, daughter of Southern Water Tribe Chief Hakoda, from Ba Sing Se to the Fire Nation Royal Palace as my personal guest. This matter is vital and deeply personal to the throne. I anticipate the utmost discretion and have an assortment of clothing and female necessities at the ready for her journey.  _

_ I will be sending a messenger hawk to Toph Beifong and she will coordinate the pickup and location of Katara. She can be reached via letter sent to Bao’s Ramen Shoppe. Do not send soldiers, you will find her prickly to manage. _

_ I anticipate my guest to be here in no less than two weeks. _

_ -Fire Lord Zuko _

He dusted the ink with starch and gently blew on it before rolling up the cream paper and applying his royal seal. Zuko set it to the side and penned the second letter.

_ Toph, _

_ Fuck you too. _

_ You’ll receive a letter from Admiral Jian, he is a trusted ally and good man. Coordinate with him to get Katara off your hands. Till then do everything you can to keep her out of trouble. I will sort out the details later. _

_ -Zuko _

Zuko added starch, blew on it, sealed it and got up from his desk to the open window. He whistled low and waited for his personal messenger hawk, Fang. The predator bird in red plumage sat on the carved window sill. He gently petted its broad chest for a second before he put the scroll in the carrier on its back.

“This is important, Fang and I know you won’t fail,” he whispered, and the bird let out a light squawk. “Fly to Ba Sing Se, find Toph.” For a second, he swore the bird’s eyes got wider before it picked up his foot and picked at it with its sharp beak. “Come on, this is important.” Zuko leaned down and uncovered the small red ceramic container and pulled out a small piece of jerky. Fang was now paying attention.

He fed it the treat and repeated the instructions, knowing the hawk was not only one of the fastest around but highly intelligent. Zuko had raised the bird since it was a chick and at three years old, he was one of the best and most reliable messenger hawks in all of the Fire Nation. He never failed.

“Go,” he said, and Fang took off. 

He steeled his resolve for a moment and penned the final letter. This one was going to be the most difficult because it was the most politically sensitive. He stared at the blank scroll and drew in a deep breath.

_ Chief Hadoka, _

_ I am writing to let you know that Katara will be my personal guest at the Fire Nation Royal Palace in Capital City.  _

He paused and tried to think of the right words, something without alarming her father that she was in trouble. Zuko also considered that if Katara was hanging out in Ba Sing Se with Toph, then Hakoda had to be alright with her on her own.

Right?

He hoped so and continued the letter deciding to keep it brief.

_ There is not a timetable on how long she will be here, but it will be good to see a friend. I hope things are well with the Southern Water Tribe and Sokka is not causing too much trouble. I will have her send another letter when she arrives and let you know what her plans are from there. _

_ Sincerely, _

_ Fire Lord Zuko _

After tending to the scroll, Zuko stood up and stretched. He gathered the scrolls, his crown and his robes and walked out of the study. He walked to the messenger hawk tower on palace grounds, needing to work out the stiffness in his legs from all that sitting. The palace was tranquil at night and he enjoyed the silence along with the fragrant night blooms that came in from the several courtyards and gardens. 

After he finished this, he could finally get some damn sleep.

* * *

Toph stood with her hands on the iron bars, noting each little divot and the very small seam left over from a shoddy sandblasting job. Her grip tightened and she knew these were here for function, not for their aesthetic beauty. Her interest was in the person still asleep inside the cell. 

She could hear the soft breaths of the poor little jailbird and could feel the slow heartbeat through the subtle vibrations that came from the cot attached to the wall, down the wall, and through the floor. Toph smiled wide as she pointed at the sleeping mass before turning her head, “hey, this is her. Open the door, moron.”

“Try being nice, ya little punk,” the guard said with a small chuckle.

“Don’t make me kick your ass again, Wang,” she said grinning with a voice tone that reminded the large guard she could do some serious structural damage. 

He grumbled and Toph heard the metal of the keys clinking against each other before her ears picked up on the slide of metal against metal and each tumbler click. The door opened with a tiny squeak and Toph stepped inside, “try to lock me in here and I‘ll do things with these bars that make the porn you read seem tame.”

“Hey now!” he snapped back.

“Dude, your heart rate and mouth breathing are a dead giveaway. Also, shower on occasion, other girls like that.” She replied and chuckled as the man grumbled and walked away, leaving her in the cell with the dead asleep jailbird.

Toph scrunched her nose, picking up on the lingering vomit, the cheap whiskey wafting off the person and a few notes of what could have been some… “oh ewww,” she said before snatching the standard issue scratchy blanket and giving it a firm yank.

“Ugh, give… back…” she moaned as Toph tapped her bare toes against the stone flooring and threw the blanket – loosely defined – behind her. 

“No, come on,” she said through clenched teeth before she pinched her forehead. 

Out of everyone in the group, the group that saved the whole world five years ago, Katara was not supposed to be the jailbird. Well, least not without her. If you’re going to wind up in the drunk tank, it better be for a damn good party and maybe a halfway decent prank. 

She heard the crinkle of the hay trapped inside the mattress and the soft murmur of her friend, realizing that her brain was slamming into her skull. 

“Oh, heal yourself and let’s go,” Toph said, her voice a bit snappy. She was desperately trying to hide her worry and thinking that she was doing a pretty good job. After all she was the one that kind of encouraged her friend to just say fuck it, cut loose and drink till you can’t feel your toes.

“Fine,” she complied and Toph could feel the bit of the vibration caused from water rushing through thin pipes. She heard it come out of the faucet and could smell the bit of metals and some dirt that made it a little less than ideal for drinking. As in, that stuff tasted funny but, in a pinch, when you’ve thrown up three bottles of gut rot, you could rinse your mouth and spit it at the guards.

Not that she would ever do that.

Yeah, she would and that was absolutely hilarious.

Toph tapped her foot, feeling a bit impatient with the situation and ready to get the hell out of there. She’d spent a few nights in a drunk tank, but this was the third time in two weeks she had to make a solo trip to bail out her friend.

“Alright, thanks,” Katara said, her voice slightly rough around the edges and thick with sleep.

“Yeah, but we gotta talk,” Toph said as she navigated her way out of the tiny cell and down the textured stone hallway. She kept her face impassive and her shoulders back as she walked, trying to give that sense of being in charge.

“See ya Wang,” she called out as they walked past the guard station.

“Yep, see ya next week.”

Toph chuckled and pushed open the smooth wooden door and stepped out into the warm sunny day. The street was busy, people moving in a hurry, vendors shouting out their wares and the occasional clopping of ostrich horses pulling rickety carts. She felt everything through the stone and navigated via her sense of touch and hearing. Some days the headache of being out in a busy street wasn’t worth it but the heavy sigh coming from her friend, made it a necessity.

They didn’t chat much as Toph strode towards her favorite noodle shop, figuring a bit of lunch might make the conversation kind of pleasant. Though she highly doubted it, there was no easy way to say the words that would come out of her mouth, but they had to. 

This was really her mess and she needed to clean it up. Most importantly, her friend needed to get her head screwed back on. This self-indulgent life was not meant for her and if Toph was being honest, it wasn’t a life she could keep living either. She had some plans for a metalbending academy and after years of a mixture of honest and not-quite-illegal-but-close work, those dreams were going to take root.

The fragrant scent of spicy noodles hit her nose and Toph let out a small smile of relief. She got up on one of the thick wooden stools and fished into her pockets for a few coins. “Hey, two daily specials and two green teas.”

“Hey shortness, give me a second,” Bao said and Toph could feel the smile from the woman’s words. She always pictured Bao as a middle-aged woman with big pudgy cheeks and probably bright green eyes. Toph was probably wrong, but it’s not like she cared. All she cared about was that the food was big, cheap, and tasty.

“Hey Toph, thanks again.”

“Katara, look I’m not gonna beat around the bush…”

Katara let out a loud sigh and Toph felt it when her head hit the wooden counter. She leaned forward and put her chin in her hands, waiting for Katara to stop slamming her head. The waterbender let out a sigh and the banging stopped, Toph could feel a small bit of warm breath against her arm.

“Kicking me out?” she asked.

“No. Well kind of,” Toph pursed her lips and swung her legs back and forth, tapping the bar, “I’m shipping you off to a specialist. You need help and I’m a horrible influence.”

She felt the cool hand of her friend as it pressed against her forehead, “you don’t feel warm.”

Toph smacked the hand away, “I’m fine but you ain’t. Look, you need to dry out and there’s only one person who can do that for you.”

“Oh spirits, don’t say Sokka,” she pleaded. Toph could hear the desperation in her voice, the soft whine behind the words and understood why. Sokka was a good guy, but honestly, she would have killed him if he coddled her like he coddled his own sister. Also, he wasn’t the source of all the problems and a certain big old mistake between two bumbling idiots needed to be fixed. As per her letter.

The earthbender laughed, “nope.” Katara let out a sigh of relief as the food and teas were served. Toph thanked Bao and inhaled the aromas as she held her bowl in her hands. She waited till she heard the bit of the slurping sound from Katara taking a sip of the excellent green tea, “Zuko.”

Katara spat out the tea and choked, as Toph happily ate her lunch. 

* * *

She leaned over the side of the ship, her stomach filled with butterflies and her heart hammering as the First Lord’s Port came into view. Katara had never thought in a million years she would be back here. Let alone escorted on a military ship and being served by an Admiral.

A good looking, witty, and personable Admiral.

She took in a deep breath of the sea air and could already smell the light traces of the unique volcanic soil and flora of the Fire Nation. They would be at First Lord’s Port within the hour, less if she cheated. 

Katara curled her fingers around the beveled metal edge of the ship as a warm sea breeze ripped through her hair. She felt droplets of water splash against her bare arms and exposed midriff. It was a surprise when Jian had multiple outfits prepared for her and he even had an assortment of beauty products for her. Katara wasn’t as enthralled with the creams and serums, as she was with the fragrant oil and the beautiful wooden brush with a thin gold inlay of her name.

As she stood there, dressed in the reds and style of the Fire Nation and no longer hating the style but finding it flattering on her warm skin tone, she felt no longer alone. Katara looked to the side as Admiral Jian put his pale strong hands on the railing before he turned his head to smile at her. She returned the look and he put his hand over hers before taking it and placing a kiss to her knuckles.

“Katara, this was an enjoyable trip and I thank you for your moments of sage advice.” His voice was deep and rich, the kind of voice that could melt panties or inspire an army to fight till their last breath.

“My pleasure, Jian. Thank you for picking me up,” she said with a soft smile.

The tips of his pale ears turned pink for a second as he let go of her hand and faked a cough. Katara found it cute until he met her gaze with his burnished bronze eyes. “If I may,” he asked. 

She nodded, trying to play it as cool as possible around the man with a beautifully sculpted jaw, slight upturn in his nose and carved broad shoulders under his uniform. If anything, the couple peeks she got of the Admiral working shirtless on the deck with his crew were a feast for her eyes. It also begged the needling question into her brain of when did she become such a lush?

Oh, that’s right. 

After Aang broke up with her because he wanted a girlfriend not a mother. Whatever that meant. She knew she wasn’t as in-love with Aang as she originally thought. The appeal wore off about a year after their first kiss. It still hurt. 

Zuko ignored her right after she was dumped, and couldn't spend 5 minutes to even hug her. 

Her brother got married and Zuko did not show. 

Her father tried to arrange a marriage for her to a horribly backwards but powerful smaller clan chief. 

She had a fit and said horrible things to her father and Sokka for trying to dictate her life and then set off on her, for the first time in her life. 

Damn near was killed several times or worse. 

Found Toph and tried to have a life but that was going nowhere because Toph wasn’t reliable. 

Then Zuko decided to marry Mai. 

All of it happened during the last year and that marriage announcement with the smiling happy couple picture, was her last nerve. Katara was sick of it all, she just wanted to forget how to feel and found her way comfortably down into a bottle.

She had gone from the eternal mother figure to bring-on-the-party girl, in a literal snap of her fingers. Katara knew something was wrong, something was hurting and for once, she chose to be like everyone else and just run away. 

_ Say fuck it and drink till we can’t feel our toes. _ Toph said, and those words became her mantra for the last several weeks. Though she supposed the first time she wound up in some random guy’s bed or in the drunk tank, she should have known better. Yeah, that didn’t work out for her and she was right back to cheap booze and thrills as soon as that damn pain returned to her chest.

“I know you’ll be a personal guest of Fire Lord Zuko,” Jian’s voice pulled Katara out of her mental pity party and back into reality.

“Yes, we were friends as teenagers,” she said simply and caught a faint look of relief grace his thin lips.

His ears darkened a little more, “I was hoping, you could make time to allow me to show you Caldera City?”

Katara blinked, she hadn’t expected him to ask her out on a date. She had been well-behaved on the ship, it also helped that booze was against regulations and she had to ration out her hidden bottle of vodka. Though she wanted to roll around naked with the Admiral, she knew that would be in bad taste. Then again, why did it matter?

Her Zuko was getting married. It’s not like that sexy, sardonic, devastating, and warm man was on the market. Katara may have been going through a wild phase, but she would die before ever being a homewrecker.

Here before her was certainly a worthy candidate for replacement if she wanted a little firebending action. Least he was a gentleman and it had been a while since she met a gentleman. Her eyes widened for a second when she realized that his question was still up in the air and she had been leaving him waiting for an answer.

Katara opened her mouth when she heard the shout about readying for docking. Jian took her hand again and with a light bow, kissed her tanned knuckles. “I know it was sudden, but please let me know your decision before we disembark.”

“Oh, alright,” she managed as he dropped her hand and she tucked a lock of her brown hair behind her ear. She hated to see him go but didn’t mind the view of him walking away. 

Katara leaned over and her eyes widened as she saw the rich beautiful Capital island. The inactive volcano at the heart of it, had produced some of the richest soil in the world, allowing varied and fragrant flora to dominate. For as much of it that was built up or converted to farm lands, much of the island was wild. 

When she first came here, she had not expected to be drawn into it. She had also not expected to find that after all her travels, the most beautiful sunsets only happened in the Fire Nation. It felt as if it was here that the sun had painted the sky in a dramatic show to appease the moon that hid in the north. In a way the sky was much like her relationship with Zuko and Katara shook her head as the boat slowed down as it headed for the massive sea wall.

As they entered the harbor it was a flurry of activity and Katara had decided to stay out the sailors’ way by making sure her bag was packed. She finished folding her items and closed the modest duffle bag, slinging it on her thin shoulder. Katara took a final look at herself in the mirror as the ship jolted quickly and she stepped quickly to hold her balance.

She took in her appearance and fixed a few random strands of her wild hair before calling it good enough and stepped out of the room. Katara felt her heart begin to race in her chest as she ran up the slim steel stairs to the deck. 

Soon she was going to step off this ship and get to see Zuko again.

An engaged Zuko. 

The thought slammed into her like Appa doing a full dive and she stopped short, finding her breathing difficult and shallow. Sure, she was going to finally see Zuko again, but to look and not have?

A wave of sorrow and sharp daggers pierced into her heart as she ground her molars and clutched her blue duffle bag. Katara swallowed the heavy lump in her throat and willed her feet to move. They would not. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, trying to force herself to move.

_ Come on! _ She mentally shouted, she felt like a frozen idiot and for what? 

A pair of beautiful golden eyes, an unusual charm, a man who didn’t know how to back down from her and that damn smile that could warm her up in the middle of a blizzard under a glacier.

“My lady,” Katara’s eyes opened and she noticed Admiral Jian sanding before her, his arm out.

She gladly took it and felt her ability to move again, the mini-panic attack abated. “Thank you,” she managed as he walked with her down the gangway. Katara could see a group of soldiers waiting at the bottom of the wooden gangway and as they stepped down it, the soldiers all moved and there for the first time in a year was Zuko.

And only Zuko.

And he was smiling at her for a second until his eyes drifted to where she was holding on to Jian. Then he scowled and stalked towards them. Even from back here, Katara could feel his heat overtake her, wrapping her in his power.

Jian dropped his arm and moved backwards, leaving her confused for a moment before Zuko invaded her personal space. He looked at the Admiral for a second and gave a curt nod before his predator’s gaze bore into hers. 

Zuko was dressed in his regalia, the long red, gold and black robes with sharp lines added a dimension of menace and royalty to his already commanding presence. He reached up and stroked her cheek. “Welcome to Capital Island,” he whispered as he gently swiped his thumb over her heated cheek.

Katara licked her bottom lip as she covered his hand with her own. She could hardly believe this, he was real and she was here and it was just them. Zuko stepped closer, their noses within millimeters of each other and their breaths mingling. “Zuko…” she whispered as she looked at him through her lashes.

“I know, I have you now,” he said in one-part prayer and one-part promise.

A tear slid down her cheek, “you don’t,” he pressed a finger to her lips.

“Toph didn’t say much in her letter, you will tell me tonight,” he commanded and Katara managed a jerky nod under the weight of his orders. Zuko was not usually one to ask, a part that made him both a curse and blessing to be around. “Come on, we’re making a scene.”

He stepped back and broke the spell of their little world and Katara could feel reality catching up with her as he pulled on her hand. She looked over her shoulder at the Admiral who was frowning and quickly glanced away. “I’m sorry,” she managed and Zuko stopped.

“Huh?”

Katara’s eyes went wide as she pulled her hand back and played with her fingers, the blush coming back to her cheeks. She wanted to say something and felt Jian come up behind her, he stopped just barely outside of her personal space.

“My lord, I asked Katara to allow me the honor of showing her around Caldera City.”

“You what?” Zuko roared and Katara felt her strength return to her. All that wishy-washy hurt feelings, the party girl had packed up an arctic camel and left the village in a hurry.

“He asked, very politely, to show me around,” she said, pulling her shoulders back and dropping her duffle bag as she reached out and poked Zuko square in the chest. “Last I checked, you, don’t get a say in those kinds of arrangements.”

He grabbed her hand and pulled her close, Katara was ready to dump half the ocean on him when he quickly cupped the back of her head and slammed his mouth over hers. She fisted the fabric of his robes as he nibbled her bottom lip and his other arm snaked around her bare waist to pin her against his taunt body.

Katara’s eyes closed as she opened her mouth and his tongue began to move against hers. The kiss felt like the dam had exploded and years of pent up everything rushed out of their bodies. She pulled him closer as they embraced like fighters and lovers. Neither giving up more than they had to and wrestling to remain in control of the moment.

It was bliss, the way he tasted of black tea and cloves, the heady mixture making her head swim as he pulled slightly on her hair and ended the kiss with the firm but not painful bite to her lower lip.

“Go on, answer the man,” Zuko challenged, his voice thick with lust. That tone hitting a special nerve in her body that damn near flooded her undergarments.

Katara looked up at him, “what about Mai?”

Zuko ghosted his lips over her cheek before bringing them to her ear, “shortest engagement in history, but you might have missed that news, party girl.”

“Oh spirits,” she said and knew that now, she was officially in over her head.

She also really wanted a drink.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading chapter 1, I'm not 100% certain how many chapters this one will have and usually all my estimates are way off. So we're just gonna wing it and have some smexy fun while at it.
> 
> This has been a lot of fun to get outside my usual fandom and have a go at another crack-ship I have always loved. Personally I thought these two had better chemistry, something about the polar opposites attracting.
> 
> Again, thank you for giving me some of your time. Stay safe, stay healthy.


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